Railroad-torpedo.



W. C. BECKWITH.

RAILROAD TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 30. 1915.

1,187,486. Patented June 20,1916.

[NT/ENTER WALTER C. BECKWITH', OF FOSTORIA, OHIO.

RAILROAD-TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'iatented June 20, 1916.

Application filed September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER C. BECKWITI-I, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Fostoria, in the county of Seneca and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Railroad-Torpedo; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to railroad torpedoes, and particularly totorpedoes commonly known as the 190d fiber top or nonflyingopen-end-tube type.

The object of my invention is the provision of an improved fiber torpedoof the class described, which is simple, durable and water-proof in itsconstruction and easy and inexpensive to manufacture, whereby to enhancethe practicability and commercial value of torpedoes of this character.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, andwhile, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerousforms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a torpedo embodying the inventionattached to a rail. Figs. 2 and 3 are cross and longitudinal sections,respectively, thereof, with portions of the rail engaging strap brokenaway, and Fig. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the torpedo with theends of the strap broken away.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the explosive containing case, 2the rail engaging strap, and 3 the base member, which latter serves bothto close the ends of the case 1 and to carry the strap 2. p

The case 1 comprises a short tubular section, preferably of strongpaper, or other suitable fibrous material, and such section isflattened, as shown. The base member 3, which is also preferablycomposed of strong paper or other suitable fibrous material, issubstantially the same in width as the case 1 in its flattened form, andis of a length which is greater than the length of the case, to permiteach end of the base member to be doubled over the respective end of thecase. The member 3 is provided, in the present instance, centrally ofits ends,w1th a pair of transversely spaced openings 4;

through which the rail engaging strap 2 is successively threaded firstin one and then the other direction, whereby the strap is centrallyretained to the base member as indicated, or in a similar manner. Thestrap 2 is preferably of lead or a similar pliant material to facilitatea threading of the same through the openings 4, but may be of othermaterial, if desired and secured to the base member in any othersuitable manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

When the explosive 5, which is preferably of tablet form, has beeninserted into the case 1 through one of the open ends thereof, the caseis placed over a base member 3 having a strap 2 attached thereto, andthe ends of the base member are drawn closely over the open ends of thetube in closing rela tion thereto and secured in such position by astitching 6 extending across the respective en ds of the torpedo, or inany other suitable manner. The stitching 6, which is preferably employedto secure the base member to the case, extends entirely through the basemember at the doubled over portion thereof and also through theinterposed case end, whereby the stitching, in addition to serving tosecurely fasten the base member to the case, also closes the ends of thecase. The securing of the fiber base member 3 to the case in this or a.similar manner not only renders torpedoes of this class safer to use, asthe metal base member or clip commonly used in such torpedoes isomitted, but also provides a more effective closure for the ends of thecase than is possible by the use of the metal or base clips heretoforeused.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, or rangement or form of the-parts, as it is capable ofnumerous modifications without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is,

1. In a railroad torpedo, an explosive containing case having open ends,a base member having its ends doubled over the open ends of said case,means extending through the doubled over ends of the base member and theinterposed ends of the case to close the case ends and to secure thebase member thereto, and rail engaging means carried by said basemember.

2. In a railroad torpedo, an explosive containing case, a strap-carryingfibrous base member having its ends doubled over the case ends, andmeans extending entirely of the case to close said case ends and tosecure the base member thereto.

4. Ina railroad torpedo, an explosive containing case offiattened'tubular form composed of fibrous material, a fibrous basemember for said case extending lengthwise thereof and having its endsdoubled over the case ends, a stitching extending through the doubledover ends of the base member and through the interposed end portions ofthe case to close the latter and to secure the base member thereto, anda rail engaging member carried by said base member;

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification.

WALTER 'o. BEGKWITH] copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the *Cbmmissioncr of I a tfits.

Washington, D. C." v

